Baby Boomers/Empty Nesters

In 2016, Temple Beth El joined a Union for Reform (URJ) Community of Practice and was awarded an Impact & Innovation grant by the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte to embark on a journey to engage and re-engage our Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters.

On August 30, 2017 we held a Big Reveal event where we revealed the top themes that came from the Listening Campaign and explored actions in small interest groups.

Since the big reveal, we have identified these targeted areas of interest for our Baby Boomers:

JEWISH BASED TRAVEL

Update 2/2/18

Come travel, learn, worship and build community in 2018! Jewish Based Travel was the top area of interest among those who attended “The Big Reveal.”

Plans are underway for an exciting international trip. Rabbi Knight and Andy Harkavy will lead a Temple Beth El Trip to Berlin-Poland-Prague October 3-14, 2018, along with Doron Harel as Trip Educator. Europe Trip Brochure

Be sure to join us for our upcoming informational meeting to learn more about our first International trip to Berlin-Poland-Prague. No RSVP necessary. Just show up at TBE!

Tuesday, Mar. 13 at 7:00 pm

We will be getting to know each other, our clergy and staff, enjoying each other’s company, and building community!

More Travel!

In addition to our Baby Boomer trip, we want to leverage existing TBE travel opportunities, and to this end we have 2 additional trips to share.

The 2018 AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington DC will be held March 4-6, 2018. Details can be found at policyconference.org. Rabbi Knight and Sam and Emily Zimmern will be leading the TBE contingent of the Charlotte delegation. Sam and Emily have graciously offered to answer questions that you might have.

Rabbi Dusty Klass will lead a multi-generational Trip to Israel June 18-28, 2018. Many of those who are registered are Baby Boomers and a few spots remain. Information can be found on the Israel trip website.

Want to talk to someone about our travel plans and how to get involved? Connect with our Baby Boomer Travel Co-chairs, John and Marsha Small.

For more ways to engage in programming available with Temple Beth El, we invite you to check out the S.P.I.C.E. flyer.

For more information about how to get involved in the Baby Boomer Initiative, please contact Holly Levinson, chair of the Steering Committee and Working Group.

RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In 2016, Temple Beth El joined a Union for Reform (URJ) Community of Practice and was awarded an Impact & Innovation grant by the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte to embark on a journey to engage and re-engage our Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters.

A Steering Committee and Work Group was formed and planning began in late 2016.

On March 29, 2017 we kicked off a Listening Campaign with over 200 people in attendance and continued in-home Listening Circles during the Spring 2017.

For more information about how to get involved in the Baby Boomer Initiative, please contact Holly Levinson, chair of the Steering Committee and Working Group.

GROUP VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Update 1/11/18

Join us as we work to improve our community and connect with fellow congregants at the same time! We will have monthly opportunities to help those in need while connecting with fellow congregants in a small group setting. We plan to include a dose of spirituality and time for reflection into these events as well. What’s on the calendar now?

Cooking for JFS with Havdalah Service
February 3, 2018
4:00 pm – 7:30 pm at Temple Beth El
Space is limited to 20 participants. For questions, contact Susan Abroms. Please register for this event here. We hope to make this a regular event.

Room In The Inn
March 10, 2018
We need 10-12 volunteers for our Baby Boomer Room in the Inn night to handle room set up, transport neighbors to and from Shalom Park, and prepare and serve three meals (dinner, breakfast and bag lunch.) We also need a leader to coordinate this event. Please contact Melissa Raphael if interested.

Mitzvah Day
May 6, 2018
The Baby Boomer group has committed to a group activity which has not yet been planned. If interested, contact Steve Menaker.

Want to talk with someone about our volunteer opportunities and how to get involved? Connect with our Volunteer Co-chairs, Melissa Raphael and Steve Menaker.

For more ways to engage in programming available with Temple Beth El, we invite you to check out the S.P.I.C.E. flyer.

For more information about how to get involved in the Baby Boomer Initiative, please contact Holly Levinson, chair of the Steering Committee and Working Group.

CREATING SMALL GROUPS

Update 1/11/18

Many congregants feel most connected to community when they are in small intimate groups, often outside the walls of the synagogue. While being large has advantages, our congregation’s size can be a barrier to making real and personal connections. Large events and worship services can be intimidating. And, while important to the life of the synagogue, large events and services are not typically where most congregants develop lasting, meaningful relationships with each other.

During the coming year, our Baby Boomer engagement efforts will focus on making our large congregation seem small by creating a sustainable small group model for Baby Boomer congregants. We have created a Baby Boomer Small Group Leadership Team to develop and launch our small group initiative. Stay tuned for updates from this team in the months ahead.